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On April 16, 2025, around 11:30 a.m., patrol officers from Tucson’s East side responded to the intersection of East Broadway Boulevard and South Wilmot Road for multiple reports of a vehicle collision involving a pedestrian. Tucson Fire Department personnel also responded to the crash and evaluated the parties involved. The pedestrian, identified as 34-year-old Richard Paul Edis Jr., was pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver of the involved vehicle, a black 2017 Volkswagen Passat, was transported by TFD to St. Joseph’s Hospital with life-threatening injuries. Despite life-saving efforts, the driver passed away at the hospital several hours later. Investigators identified the driver as 71-year-old James Alexander Yates. Next of kin for both Mr. Edis and Mr. Yates were notified. TPD Traffic Detectives were called to the scene and continued the investigation.
Interviews conducted by officers and detectives, in conjunction with roadway evidence, indicated that the Volkswagen was traveling eastbound on Broadway Blvd., faster than the posted speed limit. As the vehicle approached the intersection at Wilmot Road, it failed to maintain its lane, clipping the front of a stopped northbound vehicle before leaving the roadway. The vehicle then struck Mr. Edis, who was sitting near the southeast corner of the intersection. Mr. Yates continued eastbound crossing a landscaped area and entering a nearby parking lot, where it ultimately collided with a tree. Detectives noted that Mr. Yates was not wearing his seatbelt at the time of the collision.
Currently, failure to drive within the road has been identified as the major contributing factor of the crash. Detectives are looking into other possible factors that may have caused Mr. Yates to drive off of the roadway.
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